0289 (Water Rates)AN ORDINANCE establishing rates and
charges for the use and services of the
municipal waterworks and sewer system
of the City of Okeechobee, Florida, and
providing for the collection of such
rates and charges.
WHEREAS by concurrent proceedings the City of Okeechobee,
Florida is providing for the issuance and sale of $350,000 princi-
pal amount of Water and Sewer Revenue Bonds of said city for the
purpose of acquiring and constructing extensions and improvements
to the municipal waterworks and sewer systems of said city, which
bonds are to be primarily secured and payable from the revenues
derived from the operation of said waterworks and sewer systems
remaining after payment from said revenues of the reasonable current
expenses of operating and maintaining said systems, and in order to
satisfactorily negotiate the sale of said revenue bonds it is neces-
sary that a revised schedule of rates and charges for the use and
services of said municipal waterworks and sewer systems be pre-
scribed so that the revenues from said systems, together with the
proceeds of the utilities service tax, assure the payment of the
interest on and principal of said revenue bonds as the same
become due;
NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Ordained by the City Council of
the City of Okeechobee, Florida, as follows:
Section 1. That all owners and occupants of houses,
apartments, hotels, motels, trailer camps, manufacturing or commer-
cial establishments, or any other building of any kind situated
upon lots abutting upon any street, alley or easement, in which
there has heretofore been installed a sewer line of the municipal
sewer system of the City of Okeechobee, or in which there is here-
after installed a sewer line which is a part of any future exten-
sions or improvements to said sewer system shall, within ninety (90)
days from the date of adoption of this ordinance or the date such
sewer line is installed and placed in operation, as the case may
be, connect therewith all sanitary sewerage drain pipes of such
houses, apartments, hotels, motels, trailer camps, manufacturing
or commercial establishments, or other buildings, conveying the
sewage therefrom into said sewer line, such connections to be
made under such regulations as the City Council of said city may
establish by ordinance, and failure to do so is hereby declared
to be unlawful and to constitute a nuisance.
Section 2. That all architects, contractors, builders,
or other persons who shall hereafter erect new buildings for dwell-
ing, manufacturing or commercial purposes, on a lot or parcel of
ground abutting on a street, alley or easement in which there has
heretofore been installed, or may be hereafter installed and main-
tained any such sewer line, shall before erecting any such building
exhibit to the City Council or any other board or official of said
city which may be in charge and control of the municipal sewer
system, satisfactory evidence that a means has been or will be
provided for connecting the sanitary sewerage drain from such
building with the municipal sewer system.
Section 3. It shall be unlawful for any person to
construct or maintain a privy, vault, cesspool, septic tank, or
similar contrivance for the reception of sewerage when the premises
abut upon a public sewer line in any street, alley or other ease -
ment, and all such privies or toilets shall be removed by the
owners and the occupants of said property abutting on any street,
alley or other easement or private property on which runs a sewer
line and to which the drainage from such premises may be connected.
All such privies or surface toilets, or other means of casting or
depositing sewerage into a container above or below the surface
of the ground, or upon or into the soil or into any running or
percolating stream of water or into any cistern or well whereby
the soil is contaminated with such sewerage, are hereby declared
to be unlawful and to constitute a nuisance.
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Section 4. That commencing with the first water meter
readings following the adoption of this ordinance there is hereby
established a schedule of monthly rates and charges for the use
and services of the municipal waterworks system, as follows:
Monthly Water Rates
Metered Water Sales:
3,000 gallons or less
Next 4,000 gallons
Next 8,000 gallons
Next 35,000 gallons
All Over 50,000 gallons
$3.00 (minimum)
.60 per thousand gallons
.50 per thousand gallons
.40 per thousand gallons
.30 per thousand gallons
Section 5. That commencing with the first day of the
month following the adoption of this ordinance there is hereby
established a schedule of monthly rates and charges for the use
and services of the municipal sewer system, as follows:
Monthly Sewer Rates
Residential, $3.00 per month
Commercial, 3.50 (per month, plus 80% of the
water bill for the same month).
Section 6. The foregoing rates, both water and sewer,
shall be applicable to each connection, provided, that where a
multiple dwelling has a single connection the foregoing schedule
of rates and charges shall be imposed, billed and collected on a
per unit basis.
Section 7. In the event the sewage, water or other
liquid wastes being discharged into the sewers from any building
or premises is determined by the city to contain unduly high con-
centrations or any substance which add to the operating costs of
the sewer facilities of the city then the city may establish
special rates and charges as to such class of building or premises,
or the city may require the owner or other interested party to
specially treat such sewage, water or other liquid wastes before
it is discharged into the sewer system.
Section 8. The foregoing schedule of rates and charges
shall apply to all residential, commercial and industrial estab-
lishments directly or indirectly connected with and served by the
municipal waterworks and sewer systems, or either thereof, and
shall be billed to the owners of the premises, provided, that upon
application by the tenant of any premises who is not the owner,
filed with the City Clerk, accompanied by appropriate security or
indemnity in an amount and of a kind approved or authorized by the
City Council, such bills may be rendered to the tenant; provided,
further, that the rendering of a bill to a tenant who is not the
owner of the premises shall not affect or impair the right of the
city to enforce and collect the amount due from the owner.
Section 9. In the event a commercial building or premises
discharging sewage, water and other liquid wastes into the munici-
pal sewer facilities uses water supplied on other than a metered
basis from a private water supply then in each such case the owner
may be required by the city to cause a water meter or other measur-
ing device to be installed acceptable to the city, and the quantity
of water used as measured by such meter shall serve as a basis for
determining the pertinent portion of the sewer rate and charge,
and pending installation of such meter rates and charges shall be
based upon an estimated quantity of water used.
Section 10. Water meters shall be read monthly and all
bills for water and sewer services shall be rendered monthly, and
if not paid within fifteen days following the rendtion of each such
bill the amount thereof shall become delinquent. When any bill
becomes delinquent as aforesaid the amount thereof may be enforced
by the city in a civil action to recover the money due and the
water service to the premises served thereby shall be discontinued
or shut off and an additional fee or charge of $LOO shall
be made and collected for each re- connection when any such delin-
quent bill or bills are paid.
Section 11. That all ordinances, resolutions and orders,
in conflict herewith, be and the same are hereby repealed to the
extent of such conflict, provided, however, any ordinances hereto -
fore adopted prescribing the current water and sewer rates and
charges shall remain in effect until the rates and charges estab-
lished by this ordinance become effective.
Section 12. That this ordinance is enacted for the
promotion of the health and welfare of said city and its inhabitants,
and shall be in full force and effect immediately upon its adoption.
Passed and adopted .efQ,Q :1, , 1958.
Attest:
Recorded
1958
resident of Council
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